Imām Muhammad Bin Aḥmad Żaĥabī عَـلَيْهِ رَحْـمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ الۡـقَـوِی (who passed away in 748 AH) has stated: It is narrated that woman should be concealed, so detain her in home. When she intends to exit her home, her family asks, ‘Where are you going?’ She answers, ‘I am going to console a sick person.’ The devil remains with her until she exits her home. She cannot earn the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ (by doing such a good deed as visiting sick people etc.) as she can, by worshipping Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ at home and by obeying her husband (in permissible matters). (Kitāb-ul-Kabāir, pp. 203)
Question: These days husbands and Maḥram men are usually lazy in household shopping. Therefore, mostly women go to buy things such as meat, fish, vegetables, clothes and other household items, is this permissible? Are husbands and Maḥram men committing a sin in this case?
Answer: If men do not do household shopping due to laziness, they are being incredibly careless because their wives, mother, sisters or daughters will then exit their homes in order to buy household necessities from non-Maḥram men. Although it is not basically prohibited for women to do shopping, these are troubled times. The environment of markets today is extremely inappropriate. These days, it is very difficult for even a veiled woman to visit a market and return without committing any sin. If a woman goes to the market without wearing a veil, i.e. her hair, ears, neck etc. are exposed, or she is young and her wandering outside poses a risk of misbehaviour, and the men of her house do not stop her despite being able to, then these men are shameless (Dayyūš) and she is a sinner (Fāsiqaĥ). In spite of all efforts, if men do not do the shopping and